Higgledy Garden
  • About Higgledy Garden
  • The Higgledy Garden Shop
  • Ben’s Blog
  • Growing Guides
  • Seed Sowing Guide
  •  
0
Your cart is empty. Go to Shop.

Growing Cleome From Seed.

Growing Cleome from seed is moderately tricky…well…in as much as you may not get wonderful germination rates. However Cleome is a statuesque flower and you shouldn’t need all that many plants in your cutting patch to keep you contented.

Cleome Seedling
Cleome Seedling…about 7 weeks old.

These cracking plants are native to Central America, I have it on good authority (Brian, down the pub) that the name Cleome come from the Greek kleio meaning ‘to shut’…which may relate to it’s peculiar petals which only fully open at sundown. Equally it could be Brian spouting rubbish after four pints of Skinners.

The flower clusters develop at the top of the stalks and seed pods project out from the sides, this is an odd looking bloom to be fair. I like the pink and violet varieties but may have been swung round to some pure whites. I shall experiment this year and perhaps add another variety to the shop for next season.

Cleome in flower.
Cleome in flower.

Being late flowering, Cleomes have a vital part to play in extending the productivity of your cut flower patch…it’s true to say they are not everyone’s cup of tea…but if you have never grown them I should give them a go and see for yourself. They will flower right up until they get duffed up by a meaty frost…usually in early November.

How To Grow Cleome From Seed.

*I put mine in the fridge for a week before sowing.

*Being half hardy you cleome seeds need to sown undercover.

*I sow in modular trays to avoid disturbing their roots when I plant them out.

*They need light to germinate…so just firm down into good potting compost…don’t bury the blighters. Like most seeds they need to be kept damp…either water from the bottom or water gently from the top…preferably with a mister. Some folk put the seed trays in a clear plastic bag to help keep them moist.

cleome violet queen
Cleome ‘Violet Queen’.

*Fluctuating temperatures will also assist the germination of Cleome seeds…cold nights and warm greenhouse days…or a window sill in the home and a few nights out side in the cold. (I am sooooo mean)

*These days I sow mine fairly late April…and I sow quite thickly…if you buy Higgledy Seeds you will get far more than you need…so sow thickly to increase the uptake.

*They must not be planted out until all chances of frost have disappeared…mid May and beyond is good.

*Pinch them out if you want bushier plants.

cleome seeds
cleome seeds

*I space to just over a foot apart.

*In exposed areas they made need staking.

*Give them LOTS of time to germinate…some of mine took up to six weeks to germinate this year.

I sell ‘Violet Queen’ at £1.95 for 200ish seeds.

Try growing Cleomes with other big and late flowers like Dahlias and Sunflowers.

Here is a link to what the good people at Wiki have to say about Cleome.

Kind regards

Mr Higgledy.

If you enjoyed me warbling on in this post, perhaps you may enjoy ‘Godetia From Seed’. :)

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Geminating Cornflower Seed. (Centaurea cyanus) Growing Bupleurum From Seed. (Thorowax.)

Fresh posts!

  • Why Higgledy is limiting available stock to 75k packets per year.
  • Eight Months At Bluebell Cottage Nursery.
  • Sowing Sweet Peas In Autumn And Winter.
  • Why you should be sowing Hardy Annuals in late August/early September.
  • Autumn Sowing Of Hardy Annual Flowers.

Sign up for the newsletter!

Once every two months, I send subscribers a discount code or an offer for a heavily discounted bundle of seeds. You won't get inundated with emails... I'm far too lazy for that sort of caper.

Possibly old and musty

  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • December 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
© Higgledy Garden 2020
site by santa ana limited
Privacy Policy

Join Us

Once every two months, I send subscribers a discount code or an offer for a heavily discounted bundle of seeds. You won't get inundated with emails... I'm far too lazy for that sort of caper.

Join the chat on social media

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter